Going to Church Changed NBA Star Jonathan Isaac’s Life. Here’s How.

Published: June 4, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac felt the difference going to church made in his life, and he wants others to do the same.

“I see the evidence of God. When I put you first, you got me, and every time, in every way, that I don’t put you first, I see the results that I’ve gotten,” Isaac told Marissa Streit on the “Real Talk” podcast. “And so, church is an absolutely necessary command at the end of the day, ‘forsake not the assemblings of yourselves together.’ So, I see the need of a pastor in my life. I see the need of being under the word and in the church, and I met my wife in church. So, go to church.”

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He’s bold in his faith off and on the court, but he doesn’t let what his teammates might think of him dictate his actions.

“I think that my teammates have a respect for me, because they have seen and understand that it’s not something that I’m doing for show or for accolades or for praise in any way, that I try my best to diligently live my life in a way that I think God has called me to, and they respect it,” Isaac reflected.

Isaac was thrust into the spotlight in 2020 when he decided not to support BLM and kneel for he National Anthem. He was the first player in the NBA to do so.

“Any political structure or ideology doesn’t, in itself, have the necessary tool for salvation,” Isaac told The Christian Post in 2022. “Which is what I ultimately believe is what everybody needs. I look out into the world, I can see that racism is not the only thing that plagues the hearts of men. But I know based on what I’ve experienced, in my life, that the gospel is what changes the hearts of men.”

“In the moment of standing in the bubble, I’m saying, ‘Look, I see all the things that you see, but I cannot think of a greater message or anecdote for the times that we’re living in other than the gospel,'” he continued. “I believe that if we can choose to love people the way that God loves us, which is in spite of our faults, in spite of our mistakes, in spite of our sin, and we can choose to forgive people the way that God forgives us and ultimately get back to God in the first place, we can have the real change that everyone is aiming to get to, but is trying to do it by alternative measures.”

Isaac’s journey highlights a man whose conviction transcends the basketball court. What a great reminder to stand strong in our faith, even when it’s hard.

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